Express-safe.



J. HOLEK a. D. SCHWARTZ.

EXPRESS SAFE.

APPLlGATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1913.

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EXPRESS SAFE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Z9, 1913.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

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EXPRESS SAFE APPLIoATloN FILED SPT. 29, 1913..

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EXPRESS SEEE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1913.

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lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

JOHN HOLEK AND DAVID SCHWARTZ, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

EXPRESS-SAFE.

the claims of this specification, its object, being to provide economical express safes,-

each having an interior stationary receptacle guarded by a rotary shell 1n a stationary casing and organized for automatic opening of doors of the casing and shell, when the car has traveled a distance in miles determined by the person closing the safe, provision being had for imparting motion from an axle of the car to said shell, and for start-ing and stopping said motion from within said car.

A further object of the invention is the inclosing of all the locking mechanism of the safe when the doors of the aforesaid shell and casing are locked in closed position.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a vertical central section of an express safe in accordance with our invention, the same being generally indicated by line 1 1 in Figs. 2, 3 and 5; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional view generally indica-ted by line 2 2 in Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4 and 5, sectional views of details of the safe respectively indicated by lines 3 3, 4 4 and 5 5 in Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a partly sectional elevation of a detail of the safe generally indicated by line 6 6 in Figs. 2 and 8, a door in this illustration being partly broken away; Fig. 7, a sectional View indicated by line 7 7 in Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a partly sectional elevation of a detail of the safe indicated by line 8 8 in Fig. 2, and Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, detail partly sectional views of the safe indicated by lines 9 9, 10-10, 11 11, 12 12, in Fig. 1.

Referring by numerals to the drawings 13 indicates the ioor of a railway express car, 14 a cylindrical casing having inner bottom lugs 14 bolted to said ioor, and 15 a horizontal partition of the casing outwardly extended to form the bottom of an angular outer chamber extension 16 of said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 29, 1913.

Serial No. 792,514.

casing, one wall of this extension being in the form of a swing-door 17 shown in Fig. 2. Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured on the partition 15 central of the casing 14 is a shouldered circular pedestal 18, and similarly secured on the pedestal is an inner cylindrical receptacle 19 having an opening thereof closed by a sliding door 20 for which guides 21 are provided exteriorly of said receptacle. The door is held closed by an interior lock having an exposed key-hole 2Ol shown in Fig. 1, and said door is the only one of the safe having a key-controlled lock. The annular shoulder of the pedestal is a bearing for anti-friction balls 22 that are supported in a circular plate 23 and opposing a similar plate 24 bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom of a cylindrical shell 25 having a spur-gear ring 26 similarly secured to its bottom. The gear-ring is in mesh with a spur-pinion 27 on a spindle 28 for which the aforesaid casing and its partition are provided with bearings. A spur-gear wheel 29 fast on said spindle meshes with a spur-pinion 30 fast on another spindle 31 for which bearings are also provided in connection with said casing and partition. The spindle 31 is in line with another spindle 32 for which a bearing is provided in connection with the casing partition 15, and fast on the spindle 32 isa clutch-member 33 in which the spindle 31 is sleeved. Guided on the spindle 31 is a sliding clutch-member 34 having an external annular groove engaged by a spanner 35 suspended in rigid connection with a shaft 36 for which suit-able bearings are provided. The shaft extends outside of the casing 14, and a lever 37 is fast on the outer end of said shaft, said lever being actuated to shift the sliding clutch-member aforesaid.

Fast on the spindle 32 is a ratchet-wheel 38, and a spring-controlled reciprocative pawl 38 therefor is carried in a forked rocker-arm 39 loose on said spindle. A pitman 40 is pivotally connected at one end with the rocker-arm, and its other end is connected with a ring 40 encircling an eccentric 41 fast on a rotary device 42 that may be an axle'of the car or a shaft to which motion from said axle is transmitted. Another ratchet-wheel 43 is fast on the spindle 32, and a spring-controlled detent 44 guided in lugs of a bearing for said spindle engages the latter ratchet-wheel.

Patented J an. 6,1914.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the 'cylindrical shell 25 has step-by-step rotary motion when the spindles 31 and 32V are in clutch and the car in motion, the clutch-mechanism being under control of a person Within the car through the medium ofthe lever 87. Said shell has an opening therein and this opening is closed by aslid-l ing door 45 for Which guides 46 are provided. Guided in lugs upon the inside of the shell-door 45 isa spring-controlled vertically reciprocated bolt 47 opposed by a spring-controlled sliding latch 48that plays in a slot of the shell lbottom through which it, extends. To steady the movement ofthe latch a stem 48 thereof has sliding fit ina Wall of the play-slot for said latch, said slot being in a thickened portion of the shell bottom yas ,clearlyl shown in Fig, 1. The closing of the shell-door 45 causes a retraction of the bolt 47 to clear one side` ofthe latch 48, and as Will hereinafterappearthereis automatic retraction of said latch to clear said bolt. The door 45 is providedvf'ith a lug 45j and faston the shell 25 isa casing 4S) fora springe-controlled sliding stem 50 re tracted by said lug `When said door` 'is closed. Upon release of the doori said fstem Oreacts againstsaid lugto start said door into open position.

The dependingendlof the latch 48.v is in the path of an inner upper lug 5l ofa slide bar 51 guidedin a lug 52ofthe partition 15 vof the casingr 147 as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 said bark being Ain,.springcontrolled connection with said lug, asshoivn at53 in Figt 2, automatic movement-f of the bar` against spring-resistance being effectedby, means hereinafter specified.

An openingin the casing 14pisy closed by -a slidingdoor 54 forxvhich guides 55 .are pro-A vided and said doorV closes past the. closed door 17 of the chamber-extension of said casing, Guidedin lugs 56 ofthe. door,55 is a vertical spring-latch .o 57 havingjambeveled lorver end that au tomatically shiftsfrom one side to the other ofthe,slide-bar51A When the doorV 54 is closed andsaid bary is provided with a latch-clearing-notch 57 shown in Fig, 8. Thedoor 54 is providedjvith' ailug 54, anda springcontrolled slidingsteml58 similar to the one; 50 is arranged in th-e path ofthe lug, as is also shownin Fig. 8. Upon release of the door.. there is reaction of the previously.retractedstem. 58 against said lug 54 to start saiddoor into open position. The casing4 is alsoprovided with an o outer swing-door 59 having a. spring-controlled latch 60 engageable Wththedoor 54through a double. ri ght-angleslot 61 therein, asshown in Figs. 6Iand7. When the. doorv54is automatically,4 started. into open position, the clearanceportionof its sloty 61 registers with the latch 60, and the reaction of a previously compressed spring 62 With said door 59 will automaticallyA start the opening thereof. The closing of the door 59 is against a jamb notch of the closed door 17 of the chamberextension 16 of the casing 14, as shown in Fig. 1.

The plate y24in connection with the shell 25 is provided With a lug 24, and arranged in the path of said lugis a spring-,controlled lever 63 carrying a spring-controlled pavvl l64. inengagement with a ratchet-Wheel 65 fast-.on a spindle. 66 for which bearings are provided on the. casing-partition 15, and an- ,other` ratchet-Wheel V67 fast on said spindle is engaged by a det-ent 68. Abevel-gear pinion 69 `fast on 1the spindle 66 engages a horizontal bevel-gearWheelg70loose.on afpost 71Lrising `from a.blocki72 lthat also serves as oneof the bearings fory said spindle, and; ay circular crown-flange 70 ofsaid gearfvvheelis radi ally .i notchedy at predetermined intervals, in proportion to miles oftravelon the part of the carbaseduponthe number of revolutions of the aforesaid carfaxle. to. each mile of travel on the part of saidcar.

In springcontrolled sliding .engagement with thepost 1 .isa kplate7 3 that crosses lthe `crown-*flange Vof the. gearevvheel 70 and is,p10- vided with a. depending lug73. engageable Withanyone ofthe notches of said iiange. Theplate 7 3 is provided with an indicating pointer 7 8 and a stationaryindexfdial 74` is arranged :to ,opposethepointen A bail 75 in connection with* the plate 73 serves` as a handleto facilitate lift ofthe same against rosistanceof its controlling spring 75, and` a Wiper-lug 76 depending from the plate, clear of, the gearfwheel 70,. `is designed to. operate against and passanfouterupperlugl of the. slidefbarff 51, whereby said bar is op,-` erated, against resistance of; its` contro-lling springt to effect an automatic release and partial openingof theshell andcasing doors. Carriedginr connection with the sliderbar is anelectriccontact7 7 vthatcloseson a stationaryelectric contact-` 78, the two contactsbeing-put in circ1iit.\vit h an electric signal yby Whichto indicatet-he unlockingI of the then registeringfshell andcasing doors, so thatF a person in the car may` shift theI clutch-mem-` b'erf34foutof Worlringlpiosition land thus stop rotary movement ofthefshell 24, as otherwise saidshell would in time cut voftfaccess to the receptacleA 19,/ throughthe doorwayA of the outer casing.v

Prior to clQSingthesafe, theoperator sets the pointer 73 to: a mark onlthe dial 74 correspondingto the number. of milesthe car is to trzwelabefore'- automatic unlocking of the rcasing and shell doorsiwilltake place, thev distance beingvapproximate to ,that between two o stations, of; the railwayv forf said car, after which said doors as well as the casing-chamber` door are closed and automatically locked coincidental to the closing. The locking mechanism being wholly within the safe it is non-accessible to the express messenger or any one else in the aforesaid car. lVhen the car is put in motion, the sliding clutch-member is manually shifted to start the rotation of the shell 25. At each revolution of the shell the lever 63 is actuated by the plate-lug 24C of said shell to transmit motion to the spindle 66, whereby step-by-step motion is imparted to the gearwheel 70 until the wiper 76 ot' the indicator plate 73 with said wheel is caused to actuate the slide-bar 51 as aforesaid and thus effect a release of the casing and shell doors. The crown-{iange 70 of the gear-wheel 70 is herein shown notched at intervals in proportion to ten miles of car travel, but the sub-dividing of said crown-flange for the en- Y gagement of the lug 73 of the indicatorplate may be indenitely varied Without departure from our invention as herein claimed, and the slide-bar actuating wiper 76 of said indicator-plate is always diametrically opposite said lug that then engages a sub-dividing notch of the aforesaid flange.

As shown in Fig. l, the indicator plate 73 is adjusted to have its Wiper 76 in register with the mark on the dial 74 indicating sixty or one half of a total amount of travel for which it is possible to adjust said indicator. Hence upon the completion of onehalf of one revolution of the gear-wheel 70, said wiper will operate upon the slide-bar 5l to eiect an opening of all of the safe doors other than the inner receptacle for which some authorized person will be provided with a key.

The upper head of the receptacle 19 is provided with a central upper stud 19 that extends through the upper heads of the shell 25 and the casing 14 tlush with the latter, said shell being-loose on said stud.

`We claim:

l. The combination of an express safe comprising an inner stationary receptacle provided with a door and independent locking means for the same, a stationary outer casing, and an interposed rotary shell; means for driving the shell from an axle of a railway car containing the safe7 lockmechanism for doors of the shell and casing, lock-release mechanism, means for automatic operation of the lock release mechanism, and means by which to regulate the occurrence of said operation with respect to a variable predetermined number of miles traveled by said car.

2. The combination in an express safe of an inner stationary receptacle provided with a door and independent locking means for the same, a stationary outer casing and an interposed rotary shell; means for driving the shell from anaxle of a railway car containing the safe, means for starting and stopping the drive of the shell under control from outside of the safe, lock-mechanism for doors of the shell and casing, lockrelease mechanism, means for automatic operation ot the lock-release mechanism, and means by which to regulate the occurrence of said operation with respect to a variable predetermined number of miles traveled by said car.

3. The combination of an express safe comprising an inner stationary receptacle provided with a door and independent locking means for the same, a stationary outer casing, and an interposed rotary shell; means for driving the shell from an axle of a railway car containing the safe, lockmechanism for doors of the shell and casing, lock-release mechanism, means for automatic operation of the lock-release mechanism, means by which' to regulate the occurrence of said operation with respect t-o a variable predetermined number of miles traveled by said car, and means for automatic partial opening of the unlocked doors.

l. The combination of an express safe comprising an inner stationary receptacle provided with a door and independent locking means t'or the same, a stationary outer casing, and an interposed shell adapted for rotation; a spindle within the confines of the casing and in clutch-controlled gear connection with the shell also within the connes of the casing, means for operating the clutch from without said casing, means for transmitting motion to the spindle from an axle of a railway car containing the safe, lock-mechanism for doors of the shell and casing, lock-release mechanism, means for automatic operation of the lock-release mechanism, and mea-ns by which to regulate the occurrence of said operation with respect to a variable predetermined number of miles traveled by said car.

5. The combination of an express safe comprising an inner stationary receptacle provided with a door and independent locking means Jfor the same, a stationary outer casing, and an interposed rotary shell, means for driving the shell from an axle of a railway car containing the safe, a lock-mechanism for doors of the shell and casing, lockrelease mechanism comprising a springcontrolled slide-bar, a wheel within the confines of the casing and provided with a crown-liange radially notched at intervals thereof in proportion to miles of travel on the part of said car, an inclosed stationary index dial, a pivotally adjustable indicatorplate crossing the dial and provided with a lug engageable with any one of the notches of theUWheeI-ange, a. Wiper with the plate of Vsconsn n` the presence; of two Wtby which to actuaba, the slide-bar against messes.k

sprn(1i-resistancoV and means by which n- T termitent motioll svmpartedto ,said `Wheel ARTZ fromsad L shell.

Intestmonythat We. claim the foregoing Witnesses: We'rhayehereuntogsetour handsat Mlwau? N. E. OLIPHANT, keokn chov county of. Mlwaukee andA State M. E. DOWNEY.

Copies ,Lofthis "patentmay begobtained for ve cents each',1by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, DVC. 

